(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for moving articles between positions at time intervals, wherein the device includes at least two gates disposed sequentially in the direction of travel of the article which can controllably be opened and closed, and wherein upstream of each gate there is formed a temporary holding area for the article.
A device of this kind is known in connection with the conveying of articles where it is desirable to have, inter alia, adequate separation of the articles, in that the articles are thus virtually sluiced through stages in a conveyor system. However, the known systems require mechanically complex solutions and the use of several actuating motors to get such a device to work in a satisfactory manner.
(2) Description of Related Art
As examples of previously known solutions, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,871,078 and 5,924,546.
One of the objects of the present invention is to find a practical feed solution for articles such as empty packaging, e.g. empty bottles, which are to be selectively fed into a conveyor system consisting of a continuous row of transport containers for conveying individual articles, as described in Norwegian Patent Application No. 20041032. In providing such a device, it has also been an object to reduce the number of drive motors or actuators to a minimum, and to ensure the drive gear is simple and reliable in operation.